The Boston Red Sox had four of the first 60 picks in the first day of the 2011 MLB Draft. With their first pick (19) they chose Connecticut right-hander Matt Barnes. Their next selection (26) they went with a high school switch-hitting catcher Blake Swihart. Their two sandwich round picks consisted of University of Miami commit – Henry Owens (36) and South Carolina outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

Matt Barnes is a RHP who many believed would be a top 10 pick. He came off a great summer pitching in the Cape League as well as pitching for Team USA. Red Sox scouting director Amiel Sawdaye views him as a “middle of the rotation guy” with “three plus pitches” (a fastball (93-95), curve and change).He should have excellent command in the future and his frame might allow him to add some bulk along the way. He looks and acts like a frontline starter, and that’s exactly what he might be coming for him down the line.

Blake Swihart represents what many in “Red Sox Nation” dream. A switch-hitting athletic catcher that the Red Sox have been lacking in recent years. He should hit for average with above-average power. Swihart has a proven ability to perform against advanced competition as a young amateur, hitting .448 with a .492 OBP and .845 slugging mark for Team USA in 2010. Swihart is expected to have a high asking price, which might come in conflict because he has a strong interest in his college commitment, University of Texas.

Henry Owens, a 6’6 lefty, has appeared to be on the Red Sox radar for a while now. The Sox, said GM Theo Epstein, saw him throw with a good feel for three pitches (fastball, curve, change). His fastball currently sits at 89-94 with a big, slow,curveball that sits in the upper-60s. Owens competed against advanced competition in Southern California, for Team USA’s 18-and-under group. He is currently committed to the University of Miami.

Jackie Bradley, an outfielder from the University of South Carolina, seemed destined to be a no-doubt first-round pick before this season started. But struggles with the bat (hitting 259 over 37 games)  and a wrist injury that required surgery, put his draft status in question. When healthy, Bradley was a dynamic player for South Carolina, capable of impacting a game offensively and defensively. He hit .349 his freshman year, and .368 his sophomore year at South Carolina. He has proven that when healthy he can play, so hopefully for the Red Sox, he can get back to that level and contribute to what has become known as one of the best minor league systems in the league.

The Red Sox have put themselves in a great position for the future, especially if they can get these high school kids to sign. They have all shown signs at some point in their careers, that they are capable of making it to the next level with the proper coaching and teaching. If the effort is put in by these players, I am quite sure that they can make that happen.

Photo via Uconnhuskies.com

Quote via WEEI’s Alex Speier

After a tough season that saw the Spinners finish dead last in the New York Penn League at 24-50, they look to bounce back to form for the 2011 season. Despite the tough finish in the standings, 2010 was not without its moments, as top prospects Jose Iglesias, Kolbrin Vitek, and Chris Hernandez all donned a Lowell uniform. Jed Lowrie also returned to LeLacheur Park for six games as he worked his way back to the majors. Exciting prospects Madison Younginer, Bryce Brentz and David Renfroe all made their initial forays into professional baseball with the youngest squad in the league.

While many of the 2010 Spinners squad will be moving on to Class-A Greenville or Salem, many familiar faces are projected to return from last year’s team such as Henry Ramos, Seth Schwindenhammer, Jayson Hernandez, and Nick Robinson. Perhaps the two most intriguing players projected to be in Lowell this season are shortstop Xander Bogaerts and infielder Garin Cecchini.

Bogaerts entered last year as a relative unknown, signed out of Aruba along with his brother Jair in 2009. He made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox and immediately began producing at the plate. Bogaerts ended the season hitting .314/.396/.423 with 3 home runs, 5 triples, and 42 RBI in just 69 games. His stellar performance at the plate and in the field earned him DSL All-Star honors, as well as recognition from many scouts at the age of 17.

Cecchini, unlike Bogaerts, was a well-known commodity coming into last year’s major league draft. The 19-year-old from Barbe High School in Louisiana was projected to be a can’t miss first round selection in 2010, but an ACL injury wiped out all but 15 games of the 2010 season. Selected in the fourth round by the Red Sox, Cecchini was a middle infielder in high school who projects as a third baseman professionally. An in-depth interview of Cecchini and fellow 2010 draftee Sean Coyle details the hard work Cecchini has been putting into his rehabilitation.

2011 may also be a first for Lowell, as brothers Boss and Moko Moanaroa could grace the field at LeLacheur this summer. Signed out of Australia in 2008, Boss and Moko are both left-handed hitting first baseman who have spent the past few seasons with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox.

Adding on to the international flair of the potential 2011 squad, Swen Huijer, a 6 foot 9 inch right-hander from the Netherlands may become a key member of the Spinners bullpen along with South African reliever Justin Erasums.

Independent league signees Matty Johnson, Chris Martin and Matt Kramer all will make for interesting story lines as the summer progresses. Kramer, who was a graduate of Harvard University, will be making the leap from catching to pitching for the first time this summer.

As always, the Spinners will experience an influx of new draftees right as the season begins in June. This year, the Red Sox have four first round selections, meaning some of the top amateur talent in the country could make their presence felt in Lowell this season.

No matter how the 2011 roster shakes out, the upcoming season promises to be an exciting one, with many interesting promotions on the docket, including the Human Home Run, an attempt at the world record for dental flossing, Star Wars night, Cowboy Rodeo, Back to School with Mr. Belding, and of course the popular bobble-head giveaways.  Make sure to get your tickets for the 2011 season by calling 978-459-1702 or by going to lowellspinners.com.

Casey Kelly began his professional career as a Lowell Spinner and now ranks as the top prospect in the Red Sox system

John Gray/Lowell Spinners

Five former Spinners are taking part in the Arizona Fall League, which began play on Wednesday. Seth Garrison, Casey Kelly, Jose Iglesias, Ryan Lavarnway and Eammon Portice are all a part of the Peoria Javelinas, a team comprised of prospects from Boston, Houston, Seattle, Toronto and Cleveland.

Iglesias, who made his professional debut last year in the AFL with the Mesa Solar Sox by hitting .285 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI, played in 13 games for Lowell this season as part of a rehab assignment. During his time as a Spinner, Iglesias hit .350 with 7 RBI. He is regarded as one of the top prospects in the Boston system due to his amazing defensive ability.

Another player who is a veteran of the AFL is Casey Kelly, who was teammates with Iglesias last season with Mesa. Playing shortstop before making his conversion to a full time pitcher, Kelly hit .171 in 11 games. He was impressive on the mound in yesterday’s 7-4 win over Surprise by going 4.0 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs and striking out 3.

Lavarnway, who made his professional debut with Lowell in 2008 by hitting .211 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI in 22 games, was recently named the 2010 Red Sox minor league offensive player of the year. In 2010, Lavarnway hit .288 with 22 home runs and 102 RBI split between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland.

Garrison, who was impressive in his 2008 professional debut in Lowell putting up a 1.45 ERA with 9 saves in 22 games, made 2 rehab appearances this season with the Spinners before spending the majority of the season as a member of the Salem bullpen.

Portice is another player with previous AFL experience, playing in 2008 with Scottsdale where he had a 6.14 ERA in 5 games in relief. A 2007 Spinner, Portice spent 2010 with Portland where he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the first time since being in Lowell, posting a 4.65 ERA.

Stay tuned to the Spinners Blog for further updates from the Arizona Fall League and check back all off season for the latest from Lowell.

The Red Sox third first round selection, Anthony Ranaudo begins his professional career in Lowell after a much heralded college career at LSU

Anthony Ranaudo was perhaps the most acclaimed prospect the Red Sox signed out of this year’s draft. Selected in the supplemental first round (39th overall) by Boston, Ranaudo was at one time considered the best arm in the draft and a potential #1 overall pick before having an up-and-down Junior year at LSU. An imposing figure on the mound at 6’7″, Ranaudo let LSU to a National Championship in 2009 by going 12-3 with a 3.04 ERA. One of the most heralded prospects to be selected by the Red Sox in recent years, he ends his 2010 season in Lowell. While he will not see any action on the mound, Ranaudo will be in uniform and work out with the Spinners, getting acclimated to the life of a professional player. Anthony took some time with the Spinners Blog to answer some questions for his new fans.

Can you describe how draft day was for you. Did you know that the Red Sox would be taking you? Did negotiations go right up until the deadline?

I knew the Red Sox were interested, my advisor (Scott Boras) and me talked about the possibility and leading up to draft day I had some discussions with the team. I waited out draft day, was happy to be selected by Boston and then I kind of just went about my summer and looked to go out and pitch well. I really didn’t talk much to the team until right before the signing deadline, I got my physical done and we were able to reach an agreement pretty much right at the midnight deadline. Instead of continuing to pitch they decided to have me come up here and acclimate myself to the pros, meet the guys here in Lowell and really just learn about what being a member of this organization is all about.

How hard was it to pass up your senior year at LSU?

I love LSU, it wasn’t easy and there was actually a time where I thought I might be headed back there for my senior year. When it’s all said and done, professional baseball has always been my dream and I really wanted to get started on that journey to the major leagues. A chance to win at the highest level with one of the most storied franchises in sports was not something I could turn down.

Speaking of LSU, can you tell us how you enjoyed your time there? What was it like to win the national championship?

Awesome. You battle every day with guys that you play 75 games with and create great friendships with so it’s a huge team accomplishment to win it all. Winning 12 games and pitching the final game of the National Championship was a huge personal accomplishment for me but I was also glad I was able to be a vital part to such a huge accomplishment for the school and team. I’ll never forget those moments in Omaha, hoisting that National Championship trophy and just celebrating all the hard work is one of the best parts of my life.

You missed some time this season with an elbow issue, do you feel like that hindered your performance this year and was it hard to deal with the adversity?

It was just a minor setback and I took it really slow in terms of trying to overcome the injury and come back strong because I didn’t want to hurt myself more seriously. I bounced back strong and after missing a few starts I didn’t have an ounce of pain the rest of the year. It’s a complete non issue now and I think that pitching so well on the Cape proves that I am back 100%.

This summer you pitched for the Brewster Whitecaps and were dominant in your five starts, what was your time in the Cape League like and do you feel like you had something to prove after your college season?

I loved pitching down there, this was actually my second time pitching down at the Cape, I went there after my freshman year and pitched for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox interestingly enough. You hear a lot about Red Sox Nation and I really saw the passion the fans have for baseball both times I pitched in the Cape. I had a great team this year in Brewster and was really happy to have such a strong performance (29.2 scoreless innings) after what I felt was a bit of an up and down season for me at LSU. I met a lot of great guys, got to spend about 5 of 6 weeks of my summer doing what I love in a great location so you can’t really ask for much more.

Growing up, who were your favorite team and favorite player?

You aren’t going to like hearing this but I was always a Yankees fan growing up but once I got to college I really didn’t pull for one team over another. I really became a fan of the game as I got older and followed the game as a whole as opposed to when I was growing up and watched the Yankees all the time. Don’t worry though, that’s all changed now that I’m here in Boston, I hope to be able to take part in the proper side of the Yankees-Sox rivalry.

You were High School teammates with Spinners catcher Jayson Hernandez, did you ever think that you would end up playing together again?

We never really thought of it until this year, we both talked about how this was our draft year and we both knew we were going to get drafted. We both became familiar with the some of the scouts and really thought there was a slight chance it could happen going into the draft. I was taken early on and I followed the draft tracker online afterwards and saw him get taken by Boston as well and got pretty excited. We are both pretty happy to be on the same team right now in the same organization on our way to what hopefully amounts to successful major league careers. He’s showing me the ropes down here and it would really be cool if we get to be battery mates again soon.

You were originally drafted by Texas out of High School in 2007, did you ever consider signing back then?

I did but I realized that I really wanted to go college and it really was the best decision of my life to go to LSU for those three years and be a part of a great program and mature. I came out of LSU a better pitcher and am more ready for the challenges of professional ball.

Finally, a question we ask everyone, tell us something about Anthony Ranaudo that most fans would not know.

I am really big into nutrition and its impact on the human body. I take my diet and work outs very seriously and I feel like it gets me ready to be my best on the mound.

Last night was a special night here in Lowell as Westmoreland was in uniform and took in the game from the dugout with is family and friends in attendance. Watch what he had to say about the progress he has made thus far.

Brandon Workman created a lot of pre-draft buzz due to his stellar pitching in Texas. Now he turns his focus to working his way to the majors

Brandon Workman was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of this years amateur draft. Considered one of the top college arms in the country, Workman fell in the draft due to his bonus expectations. A vital cog in the Texas Longhorns rotation, Workman is a physical presence on the mound, standing 6-5, 225. An impressive 2009 season which included a no-hitter of Penn State and a trip to the College World Series put Workman on the radar screen as one of the top college pitchers in the country. No stranger to New England thanks to his two stints with the Cape Cod League Wareham Gateman, Workman will begin his professional career next season but for the time being sat down with me to answer a few questions.

Can you describe to us how draft day went for you? Did you know that the Red Sox were going to take you? The signing process was reportedly down to the wire, were you ever worried about not signing?

I really had no indication the Red Sox were going to take me. I was sitting around watching the draft on television with no idea where I was going to end up, so when I got the call from them it was really exciting to be taken by such a historic franchise. I never worried about signing, I figured it would work it’s way out in the end even if negotiations went down to the wire. I ended up being where I wanted to be so it worked out for the best.

You were originally drafted in 2007 by the Phillies, did you ever consider signing back then?

I kicked around the idea of signing, I’ve always wanted to play professional baseball but it really came down to them not being able to offer me what I was looking for in order to pass up going to Texas.

Can you give us a bit of a self scouting report, what pitches do you feature?

Nothing too out of the ordinary, I have a fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter. I suppose you could say I throw with a 3/4th’s delivery and that I’m at my best when I have solid control of all four of my pitches.

There’s been talk that you might profile as a reliever down the line, do you prefer starting or relieving?

I absolutely envision myself as a starter, all my preparation has been to get out there on the mound and go deep into ball games. I am not opposed to relieving by any means, especially if that is what will get me to the majors faster.

How hard was it to pass up your senior year at Texas? Can you describe what it was like playing for the Longhorns?

Definitely not an easy choice, we had a great team down there every year I was there and they are going to have a really good squad again this year. With them being in the mix for a national championship it made the decision that much harder, ultimately I am very happy to be a part of the Red Sox organization.

If you had to pick a favorite baseball moment during your career what would it be and why?

Going to Omaha for the College World Series in my sophomore year. We came in second to LSU, Ranaudo’s team, but it was the most exciting baseball experience I have ever been a part of.  Coming that close and not being able to finish it off was frustrating but we had a great year and it was awesome to being able to play in that type of playoff atmosphere.

You pitched for the Wareham Gateman of the Cape Cod League in 2008 and 2009, pitching in the Cape League All Star game both years. What was it like pitching in the Cape?

It’s a different baseball experience than down in Texas for sure but I had a ton of fun. I met a lot of great people, plenty who I am still friends with, and enjoyed living with my host families. An all around great experience both years and being selected for the All-Star game was an honor because there are so many great players that go to the Cape. It gave me a taste of the passion that New England fans have for the game so I’m looking forward to seeing that on a larger scale.

You played football during high school, with Texas being such a huge football state did you ever consider playing football during college?

Not really, it was an easy decision (baseball over football) because I was always better at baseball. Pitching was always really where I stood out so it was what I wanted to end up doing. The Longhorns have a great football team, not sure I could have cracked it even if I wanted to.

When you were growing up did you have a favorite team and player?

I grew up in North Texas so I was always a Texas Rangers fan. I couldn’t really tell you a favorite player, I just followed the Rangers since they were my home team.

Lastly, has the team told you what your plans are for the immediate future?

I really don’t think you will see me on the mound this year. I am really just here to get acclimated to pro ball and start preparing myself for the fall and spring.

Fret not Spinners fans, the creative mind behind your Lowell Spinners blog has returned and do I have some interesting things in store for you!

First, lets begin with our squad who had an impressive 5-3 victory over the Hudson Valley Renegades yesterday afternoon. Player of the Game Nick Robinson went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI including a bases loaded walk and a double. If you haven’t come out to a game lately tonight is the night to join us at LeLacheur Park! Tonight is John Kerry Bobblehead Night as well as Electronics Giveaway Night. Despite rain in the area, we are on for our 7:05 start.

Still wondering what I have in store for you? How about interviews with some of our top prospects? That’s right, after a short hiatus the Road to the Show series returns with an interview from recent draftee Brandon Workman. Look for that interview this afternoon right here on the Spinners Blog!

Heidi Watney Bobblehead

By: Colby Garrapy

Sunday, August 1, 2010 was a big day here at LeLacheur Park. As fans began to line up at the gates as early as 9:00 am, they were looking to get their hands on a piece of Spinners history. Our Spinnertainment for the afternoon was centered around someone all of New England is familiar with and many fans are in awe over, NESN’s reporter, Heidi Watney.

For the first 1,000 Spinners fans, they received a Heidi Watney Bobblehead, the first ever lady bobblehead made as a giveaway at LeLacheur Park. This marked the first of the many exciting events, as Ms. Watney was involved in lots of the Spinnertainment featured on this sunny afternoon. Ms. Watney signed autographs on the concourse, threw t-shirts out of the mystery machine, and had fans answer questions for Heidi Watney Trivia Inning.

Heidi Watney Bobblehead Giveaway was a great success, here at LeLacheur Park on Sunday. The weather was great, the Spinnertainment was exciting as usual, and Heidi Watney made an appearance brightening up everyone’s day. Sunday summed up their two game home series and the Spinners will return to Lowell on August 10^th against the State College. For more information or tickets visit lowellspinners.com or call 978-459-2255.

Enjoy our tribute to Heidi Watney:

Advanced Stats – Pitching/Defense

By: Colby Garrapy

Current as of: 7/28/10

While offense is one of the keys to success in baseball, there are still two factors that are typically not regarded as important: Pitching and defense. These are the prevention of offense for the opponent. If a team can prevent their opponents from scoring runs while they in turn are capable of scoring them, they have the best shot at winning.

This is where pitching and defense statistics can say a lot about a player. Just because someone is capable of winning 15 games doesn’t make them a great pitcher. What it means is that the pitcher prevented their opponents from scoring more runs than them in said game. Yes, this is what a pitcher should do, but it doesn’t account for those statistics a pitcher can control.

Out of all the statistics that relate to pitchers, there are four that a pitcher can control: home runs walks, hit by pitch, and strikeouts. While other stats are important to consider, if one wants to look at those that the pitcher can control, these are those stats.

Why only these select statistics?

The answer is because all other stats require the fielders behind the pitcher; all of which vary from team to team and have a vast difference in skill level. In order to generalize and judge a player solely on his ability, these stats must be weighed.

On a defensive scale there are many stats that can quantify a player’s ability to make the out. Organizations watch tape after tape of previous games in order to determine how an out was made and where it was made on the field. While this information isn’t accessible to myself, there are a few defensive stats that I can compute in order to give a better look at a player’s ability to turn outs rather than just comparing errors to others.

I want to start by analyzing those stats pitchers can control. This statistic is called Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). This statistic analyzes a pitcher’s homeruns allowed, hit by pitches, walks allowed, and strikeouts. The formula looks something like this:

FIP= (HR*13 +BB+HBP-IBB) *3 – K *2 / IP

After we compute this formula an average league factor must be added to put it into an ERA format. Typically the league average FIP – league average ERA is added, but to make life simple, we will use the average league factor of 3.2 that is commonly used. Here are the Spinners top five pitchers in FIP:

FIP (min. 20 IP)

Keith Couch                              2.64

Hunter Cervenka                     3.65

Garrett Rau                               3.66

Tyler Wilson                            3.67

Ramon Mendez                       3.81

All five of these pitchers have a relatively good FIP. In other words, fielding aside, these pitchers have performed well. Their homerun, walks, and hit by pitch totals are relatively low and they strikeout a good amount of the batters they face. Cervenka is the one pitcher the posted a negative number before adding the league average factor.

Another statistic I will take a look at now is batting average on balls in play (BABIP). What this stat does is measure a player’s average on balls hit in play (excluding homeruns). It can be used for hitters and pitchers and is effective in weighing flawed seasons. It is difficult to maintain low or high BABIP, so typically if a player has a high BABIP one season it is realistic that a player will improve the following season. Vise versa for a player with a low BABIP, it is likely that player will regress the following season. An average BABIP is around .300, but can depend a lot on the team’s defense. Here is a look at the Spinners top pitchers in BABIP and the bottom pitchers in BABIP:

Top BABIP:

Hunter Cervenka            .278

Stephen Fox                     .286

Ramon Mendez               .295

Madison Younginer       .315

Garrett Rau                       .326

Bottom BABIP:

Tyler Wilson                   .370

Cesare Angeloni            .352

Charle Rosario               .333

Keith Couch                     .330

As you can see, only three pitchers fall below a .300 BABIP, while the rest are above. This can translate into a couple different things. One could be the three pitchers below .300 do a better job at preventing the ball from being batted, they are having a lucky season, or the defense plays better when they are pitching. For the pitchers above .300, it could mean the exact opposite. What we can take from this is how batters bat on balls in play against certain pitchers. Some of these like, like Wilson and Angeloni, should see a slight decrease while pitchers like, Cervenka and Fox, may see a rise in the future.

Now that I have covered a couple pitching statistics I want to take a look at one defensive stat that is clearer than your basic fielding percentage. All fielding percentage does is calculates the number of times a player cleanly handles a batted ball or thrown ball. Range factor calculates the number of outs a player participates in. How calculating range factor works is you divide a player’s putouts and assists by the number of innings or games he has played. Dividing by the number of games gives you his range factor per game. Dividing by innings and multiplying by 9 gives a player’s RF/9, which is what is commonly looked at.

(PO + A * 9)/IN = RF/9

Here is a look at the Spinners top players at each position:

Current as of 8/1/10

RF/9 (min. 75 innings)

C:              Chia-Chu Chen                          8.81

1B:             Miles Head                                 9.90

2B:             James Kang                               4.88

3B:             David Renfroe                           2.79

SS:             JT Garcia                                    5.43

LF:            Seth Schwindenhammer         1.86

CF:            Bryce Brentz                                2.67

RF:            Brandon Jacobs                        2.14

These are the players who participate in the most outs at their given positions with a minimum of 75 innings of work. One of the most surprising positions was centerfield where Brentz had a RF/9 of 2.67 while the speedy Felix Sanchez had 2.07. While .60 doesn’t seem huge, it is over half a play more a game Brentz participated in than Sanchez.

As we can see, stats say a lot about players. Even I was surprised by some of the range factors of the Spinners. As for the pitching statistics it was a clear indication as to who has performed well this season, and who has not. Mendez ranked as one of the top pitchers on the staff, but with his departure we will see a slight change in the way the Spinners play. These three stats I covered are only a select few of the hundreds that can be calculated.

This is an eye opener to what baseball stats can offer. It changes the way a player’s basic numbers are looked at and allows followers to examine another side of their performance. Winning is important, but if the team can’t perform well in hitting, pitching, and defense they will have a tough time doing so. That is where these types of stats can come into play and allow you to put aside typical stats that are reflected in the team’s performance and be able to examine a player solely on his performance. While these are only three different stats to quantify a player’s performance, it allows one to put typical defense and pitching statistics aside and exemplifies how each player can perform.

August 10 – Robotics Night

August 11 – Chaotic Wrestling Preforms

August 14 – Twilight Night

August 20 – Irish Step Dancing

August 21 – Scout Night Sleepover

August 22 – Win a Royal Caribbean Cruise!

August 23 – Monkey Man and his buddy DJango

August 24 – Boston Celtics Night with Glen “Big Baby” Davis

August 28 – Harry Potter Night

August 29 – Boston Bruins Night with Shawn Thornton & Terry O’Reilly

August 30 – Senator Scott Brown

Click here to get your tickets !